Ooty, the first restaurant venture from friends and entrepreneurs Pooja Nayak and Aseela Goenka will open in the former site of Galvin Bistro de Luxe on Baker Street, Marylebone on Thursday 14 February.
The new fine dining restaurant, named after a small town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, will focus on the ingredients and cuisine of southern India. The kitchen is headed up by Manmeet Singh Bali, formerly head chef at Michelin-starred London restaurants Rasoi and Vineet Bhatia London (VBL).
Ooty comprises three distinct spaces; an 80-cover fine dining restaurant, 'Ooty Club' - a colonial-style basement bar and 'Ooty station' - an all day casual dining space and cocktail bar (set to open ahead of the summer).
In homage to its namesake - an idyllic Indian station town in the mountains, known for its tea gardens, cardamom and rose-bushes, Ooty’s menu will offer a modern take on the refined, aromatic cuisine of southern India, with its abundance of spice and pulses, as well as fresh fish and vegetable-based dishes.
Chef Manmeet, who started his career with the Taj group of hotels in southern India before rising to head chef at Rasoi and later VBL, has been particularly inspired by time spent in a traditional house kitchen where his love for south Indian cuisine was ignited.
Guests will be able to choose from a seasonally changing a la carte menu, including starters such as 'Tellicherry crab fry with zesty coconut crab relish & tomato chutney' and fragrant 'Goan chicken cafreal with cucumber rolls, baby corn shoots & tomato dust coral'.
Mains range from fresh 'Keralan lime lobster with shellfish charu, squid ink idli & chutney spoon' to the traditional 'Andhra Natu Kodi Biryani - guinea fowl basmati rice, egg salan & cucumber yoghurt pachadi'.
The kitchen will also feature a griddle from which Manmeet and his team will serve up chargrilled portions of 'Fennel lamb shoulder, pine nut & pickled baby shallots' and 'Classic masala dosa with crushed new potato'.
Alongside a focus on quality, sustainable meat dishes, Ooty will also cater to a vegetarian diet, with meat-free options including a starter of 'Almond & pea cake, crispy pepper asparagus, wasabi chutney & asparagus shavings' and 'Fennel paneer; samphire pulao, hyderabadi tomato kut & chenna fritters' on the mains.
Reflecting its more casual 'drop in' feel, the menu in Ooty Station will focus on light snacks and hearty bowls, served from breakfast through to late when it opens later this year. Venturing downstairs into Ooty Club, the drinks menu will include a selection of cocktails inspired by railway journeys through India.
Signature serves will include the Rose Garden Cocktail, which pays homage to Ooty’s famous rose garden (housing over 20,000 varieties of rose), and Tiger Hill - named after Darjeeling’s highest railway station.
The interiors at the restaurant bring a distinct, individual feel and look to each of the spaces. Inspired by the 'Queen of Hill stations' (a local byname for Ooty), the interiors in the main restaurant are characterised by natural materials and a statement faux-foliage wall. Botanical wallpaper will complement the deep wooden floor whilst the whole look is softened with dusky pink chairs and deep green banquets. Copper accents bring a smart, cosy and luxurious feel to the space.
Moving into the lower-ground bar, visitors will be transported to the lodges of 18th Century India, with dark panelling carrying an eclectic mix of vintage prints, maps and colonial paintings. Globetrotter-inspired accents including carved wooden furniture, maps and globes add the tropical atmosphere.
By contrast, Ooty Station will have a more contemporary, relaxed feel to reflect the casual food and cocktail offering. The space is defined by industrial accents, bar-style leather seating and a bold yellow and navy blue colour scheme with sleek crittal-style windows allowing light to flood the space.
Co-founder Aseela Goenka said, “Having worked in hospitality for many years, I believe, as most Indians do, that food is a blessing and must be treated almost with reverence. To be able to present delicious food not just to appease hunger but also as a sensory experience is what Pooja and I aspire to do, and Ooty is the product of this vision which we have been working for over a year.
'We both have fond memories of the delicious, aromatic cuisine and fresh fish from childhood holidays to south India and, whilst we do enjoy curries, baltis and butter chicken dishes, we wanted to focus on the cuisine of the south to show that Indian food is so much more than this! Whether for an after work drink, quick bite or long lunch, Ooty will be the perfect place to try this delicious food, and we hope London diners will agree.”
As part of the soft launch, diners who book for lunch or dinner from 14-16 February will be treated to 50% off food. Ooty station is set to open later this year.